clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

1907: Mississippi A&M Hires a Full Time Coach and Hangs 80 on Someone


For the first several years of Mississippi A&M football, player coaches and part-timers ran the squad. That might be why strange things such as back to back game days have appeared on the schedule along side a large number of losses. In 1907, the school decided to get serious about sports, and the Aggies hired Fred Furman as the first full time head coach and athletic director for the Maroon and White.

Furman faced a daunting task. No one had yet to finish with a winning record during their time in charge of the Aggies football team.

Furman's first year could be described as a roller coaster. The team experienced some major highs, and they felt some major lows. Home fans enjoyed watching the team go 3-0 at Hardy Field, but they had to be disappointed with the struggles the Aggies faced on the road.

The season opened on a Wednesday against Southwestern in Starkville, and the Aggies walked off the field with a 7-0 victory. The next week, on a Thursday, a trip to Sewannee did not go as plan, and the Maroon and White were blanked 35-0. (Looking at the days, one may think A&M played in the MAC.) Two days later, the Aggies got a bit of revenge knocking off Howard on the road 12-5.

What happened the next two weeks nearly defy belief. Union traveled to Starkville and left with an 80-0 beating. To put that in perspective, the Aggies only scored 77 points in their first four seasons. The following week, Mercer traveled to Columbus for a game, and they left with a 75-0 loss. What fun that had to be for the Maroon and White fans.

From that season high, A&M would knock of Drury College 6-0 before dropping decisions to LSU and Tennessee.

However, the season ended on an up note with a Thanksgiving Day victory over Ole Miss, 15-0 in Jackson.